Illinois 88, Purdue 82 Postgame
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They had a full court press on Keaton by his defender when he had the ball. They dropped off with Mirk bringing it up.
Made sense.
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
I’m wondering if it’s a money issue. I have no real reason to suspect this other than his attitude of late. I’m sure TKR is making good scratch, but is someone else making more?
I have rewatched the game 3 times (luxury of being old and retired lol). I knew TKR was a thug player based on previous games, but I concentrated on watching him one of those times. He may be allowed to get away with more crap than anyone I have seen in quite a bit. He should have fouled out in the first five minutes. Painter needs to get him in hand or they'll be looking at an early exit in March. Other leagues don't let that thug act go near as much. Their whole team likes to initiate contact on defense and rock back like the offensive player was at fault. Bring back the flopping technical just for Purdue games..
Yeah, this is why I hate when people bring up the coulda, woulda, shoulda arguments regarding key players being out. It makes for a completely different game entirely. Yeah, if you have one of your best players available your gameplay is going to be different. Where people are going to be on the court, the sets you run, how you go about defending will all be different.
So to say something like, if Boswell were playing, Keaton wouldn't go for 46, ok, maybe. Maybe he goes for 36, or maybe he goes for 56. Or maybe he goes for 25 with 10 assists and Kylan goes for 20. It's just a nonsense argument, because yeah of course if a whole new major dependent variable was added to the equation, the equation would change.
But for a Purdue beat guy to resolutely say, if Kylan was playing, Purdue would've won by double digits? That's just sour grapes and delusion to the point where I hope Illinois and Purdue meet again in the tourney and Boz drops a 50 spot on them while holding Smith to 10 and 5 and Keaton pours in another 40 to blow them out of the gym. It's one thing to make a stupid argument but to have the gall to take that stupid argument and then twist in a way that can be used to demean an injured player. I have no words for that other than I hope that player embarrasses that team.
Their "recap" is longer than the time of the actual game.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
How many of us on Tuesday said to ourselves: "Yeah, we've lost BAM for at least a month. Drag, but whatever. The guys will work out the bugs against the Terps, and then we'll win at Mackey on Saturday by 2-3 possessions after trailing by 11."
I'm sitting here Monday morning and it still hasn't fully sunk in. As @ChiefGritty noted, what we saw Saturday afternoon was beyond special, and this is the Gilded Age. It was an historic performance by KW, an instant classic, and an inflection point showing us how formidable this team can be in March.
Cherish this time, this team, every single possession. On Saturday before tip-off we splashed on MSU tickets in EL Feb. 7. Don't care if there's wrath-of-God lake effect snow in PA, OH and MI. We'll get there somehow and cheer ourselves hoarse for the Beloved. We shall not be denied.
I'm sitting here Monday morning and it still hasn't fully sunk in. As @ChiefGritty noted, what we saw Saturday afternoon was beyond special, and this is the Gilded Age. It was an historic performance by KW, an instant classic, and an inflection point showing us how formidable this team can be in March.
Cherish this time, this team, every single possession. On Saturday before tip-off we splashed on MSU tickets in EL Feb. 7. Don't care if there's wrath-of-God lake effect snow in PA, OH and MI. We'll get there somehow and cheer ourselves hoarse for the Beloved. We shall not be denied.
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
Agree 100% Pru, except for the 'borderline'. Does not need to be egregiously dirty to be dirty, he was hitting and shoving all game, worst was the hard bump in the back on KW which was called a travel on Keaton.
It was also very annoying that Smith gets free use of hands to brush off defenders but Mirk does not. Only difference maybe is that BS seems to more stiff arm with it fully extended, while Mirk has a bent elbow. Maybe that's material, I guess (on top of the usual senior vs freshman rules on foul-calling).
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
Great analysis from CJ Moore in The Athletic ($): https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/69...sketball-top-25-arizona-byu-illinois-houston/
TLDR: Wagler dominated everyone who guarded him. At the start it was all Oscar Cluff, who was torched for the first 8, then they started switching others on to him, and he kept dominating (even against CJ Cox, who was always the primary defender). Then when the game was close late, Purdue switched to hedging with a double, and Keaton calmly ran the offense to the open mismatch, who was different each time down the floor, and they each hit 3s to win the game for the Illini.
Here's the bit about Illinois' last 5 possessions of the game:
TLDR: Wagler dominated everyone who guarded him. At the start it was all Oscar Cluff, who was torched for the first 8, then they started switching others on to him, and he kept dominating (even against CJ Cox, who was always the primary defender). Then when the game was close late, Purdue switched to hedging with a double, and Keaton calmly ran the offense to the open mismatch, who was different each time down the floor, and they each hit 3s to win the game for the Illini.
Here's the bit about Illinois' last 5 possessions of the game:
CJ Moore said:
Jeremy fears had 17 points and 17 assists and might not even be in the top 10 performances Saturday. it is barely a footnote. 17 assists! insane!
Not sure why Painter didn't try to heat up some pressure on Mirk.
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Afraid of a mismatch. A big wouldn’t be able to effectively put pressure on the ball, so they would have had to use a guard. Which means a big would’ve had to cover one of our guards.
Could have blitzed it or ran a soft press, and heck, Mirk was essentially a guard for us that game. Just shocked at the lack of adjustments from Painter. He is a great coach, but we are a matchup nightmare. They just bet on us not having sustained success behind the arc, and it worked in our favor.
Beat me to it! Mirk at 6-9 who has good handles can pass over the top if a guard is pressuring....Cluff and TKR are not going over half court or they get dribbled around with easy in the paint buckets. It was btw a nice adjustment...Cox was glued to Keaton and hopping to get a hand in there to get a loose ball.
Chuck Nuggets
Dip your nuggets in my staff source sauce.
Keaton Wagler over the last 12 games (9 Big 10 teams, Tennessee, Mizzou, and Southern):
20.0 points
4.8 rebounds
5.3 assists
40-85 (.470) from 3
11-1 (3 point loss to undefeated Nebraska).
I'll go on record and say this is the best 12 game stretch I've ever seen from an Illinois player, including TSJ's incredible run to finish the 2023-24 season.
20.0 points
4.8 rebounds
5.3 assists
40-85 (.470) from 3
11-1 (3 point loss to undefeated Nebraska).
I'll go on record and say this is the best 12 game stretch I've ever seen from an Illinois player, including TSJ's incredible run to finish the 2023-24 season.
Against TT he got a hand on a 3 point shot and recovered the ball to close the game out! We all loved that! I don't mind going for a block.
It's certainly in there. Still think we were robbed because I felt like Shannon was nearing that before he got suspended. I still think he would've been NPOY. He was simply unstoppable.
Those games he was out and the year the tournament was canceled are two of my biggest what ifs. Ayo and Co. would've been ready, but I really wanted to see Feliz in the tournament. They would've went far IMO with a chance to cut the nets down.
Purdue moved away from their regular defense to start the game. Their idea was to shut down everyone but Wagler and make the freshman beat them. One could say it worked. Nobody but Wagler did much of anything in the first half, and Purdue led by eleven at one point. I think they led by four at the break.
It wasn't until the second half that they reverted to their "normal" defense. That adjustment led them to lose the second half by ten.
Have to chime in.
Amazing game. Wagler insane. Might be best win of any team this year. True road game. 2nd overall might be Nebraska at Illinois. Or vice versa by end of year. But I don’t know all the games.
Finally seeing the difference between actions and sets. Actions work well with high bball IQ players, can adjust to the defense. All these breakdown videos highlighting Purdue changing defensive approach and Illini able to adjust. Fun to watch too-other games do not look like Illini games.
Not sure what else Purdue could have done defensively. That’s good!
Rebounding was very good and got better as the game went on. Interestingly I thought longer missed shots were staying close to basket earlier in game , and then went longer as expected afterwards- pro Illinois.
Would have tried hedging/helping on smith later in 2nd half as long as Meyer was not the screener. Pass the ball or force smith into 2pt shots. Even if rotation, just try to prevent 3s.
Glad TKR didn’t hurt anybody. Seemed out of his mind. Not sure what coaching staff said to him, but do the opposite next game. Good to smith come back in the game. Don’t want to see any injuries.
Amazing game. Wagler insane. Might be best win of any team this year. True road game. 2nd overall might be Nebraska at Illinois. Or vice versa by end of year. But I don’t know all the games.
Finally seeing the difference between actions and sets. Actions work well with high bball IQ players, can adjust to the defense. All these breakdown videos highlighting Purdue changing defensive approach and Illini able to adjust. Fun to watch too-other games do not look like Illini games.
Not sure what else Purdue could have done defensively. That’s good!
Rebounding was very good and got better as the game went on. Interestingly I thought longer missed shots were staying close to basket earlier in game , and then went longer as expected afterwards- pro Illinois.
Would have tried hedging/helping on smith later in 2nd half as long as Meyer was not the screener. Pass the ball or force smith into 2pt shots. Even if rotation, just try to prevent 3s.
Glad TKR didn’t hurt anybody. Seemed out of his mind. Not sure what coaching staff said to him, but do the opposite next game. Good to smith come back in the game. Don’t want to see any injuries.
TKR doesn’t look healthy to me, assuming that’s who’d be guarding him. Maybe?
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